Vaping their way to drugs, dangerous

 

Pocket size: Widely available, small, colourful vape devices are also easy to conceal. — File photo

A DECADE ago, when e-cigarettes, or vapes, landed on our shores, tobacco cessation experts cautioned that the devices could be a gateway to smoking, and a threat to Malaysia’s goal of becoming a smoke-free nation.

Today, the fear is that vapes are luring teens to drugs, creating a generation addicted to substances even more dangerous than nicotine, Monash University Malaysia associate professor and KPJ Puteri Hospital consultant Dr Anne Yee told StarEdu.

Dr Yee, who is also a Universiti Malaya Centre of Addiction Sciences (UMCAS) adjunct professor and Addiction Medicine Association of Malaysia (AMAM) honorary secretary, said unregulated vape liquids are increasingly being mixed with unknown substances, making them more dangerous and addictive.

Vaping nicotine, Dr Yee noted, increases the likelihood of trying other addictive substances, including cannabis and illicit drugs.

Early exposure to nicotine primes the brain for further drug experimentation​, she said.

“Many vape products contain high levels of nicotine, increasing the risk of long-term addiction.

“The earlier a person starts using nicotine, the greater the risk of developing substance use disorders later in life,” she said, adding that vapes have been found to contain illicit substances such as THC, synthetic cannabinoids, or opioids (see infographic), which increase the risk of addiction, toxic chemical exposure, and the risk of respiratory and neurological damage.

“Youths may unknowingly inhale these dangerous substances as unregulated vape products are widely available online – especially social media,” she said.

Narcotic Addiction Rehabilitation Centre (Puspen) Karangan director Zuraidah Ayob said most of the teens at the facility get stuck on drugs through vaping.

“It’s very worrying because the numbers are increasing.

“During one visit to a school in Kuala Lumpur, I asked the 200 students gathered how many of them vaped. A quarter raised their hands. Those were the ones who admitted but imagine how many others who were afraid to raise their hands?” she said, adding that when vape was introduced, it was promoted as a healthier alternative to smoking but the vapour is not safe.

Most vapes contain nicotine levels that are higher than cigarettes, she said.

“Teens are getting hooked without even realising it because they see it as a trend rather than a high risk habit.

“Vape is a gateway to drugs and if not curtailed through education, enforcement and parental or community intervention, we will create a generation that is highly vulnerable to drug abuse,” she concluded.

Note: The Puspen Karangan school is in need of reading materials for its library, as well as volunteers to conduct tuition classes, skills training and motivational talks for its students. Companies interested in assisting as part of their corporate social responsibility programmes, or non-governmental organisations involved in education, may contact the school at zuraidah@aadk.gov.my or pengarah_karangan@aadk.gov.my

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‘Mushrooms’ in our midst

Determined to turn over a new leaf, these students will sit for their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) exams this year at the country’s first Puspen school in Karangan, Kedah.

A typical day for these students starts at 9am and ends at 4.30pm. In between lessons at the school, which opened in December last year, co-curricular activities like computer classes are conducted, with students given a two-and-a-half-hour break for lunch.

In an exclusive interview with StarEdu, these students share how curiosity and friends led them to “magic mushrooms”.

Vaping, they say, should be banned because illegal substances are so easily available.

I was introduced to ‘mushrooms’ three years ago by a friend. Before I knew it, I was spending more than RM20 daily to feed my addiction. I got the liquid from a dealer and added it to my vape. The high would hit within five to 10 seconds, and I’d start to feel calm. Soon, I began feeling scared because the drug caused me to overthink. It slowed down my brain, and I was always forgetting stuff. I really regret trying it – if not for my curiosity, I wouln’t be here today. I hope vaping will be banned because many are abusing it. I want to continue my studies if I pass the SPM.

– Salman, 17, Selangor

CLICK TO ENLARGEI used to take pil kuda (yaba pill) to give me energy when I worked in the paddy fields. I could not sleep at night so I turned to vaping ‘mushrooms’. I started when I was 13. My friend told me it would help with my insomnia and soon I was hooked. It’s only RM1 per drop and it is very easy to buy. Usually I would buy 10 drops and when I had some money, I would get a bottle for RM150, which could last me a week. It didn’t affect my studies because I was already skipping school anyway, but because I had been playing truant, my school called AADK. I was picked up and my urine test came back positive. It would be good to ban vaping because it is so easy to consume drugs with the device. No one will know. There is no smell at all. Please do not try it because when you are experiencing withdrawal, you really lose all control. I don’t crave it anymore, though sometimes I still have trouble sleeping.

– Kamal, 16, Terengganu

I am here because of ‘mushrooms’ introduced by friends. I was spending about RM700 and above per month on vaping. I come from a well-to-do family. My pocket money was RM40 daily. Sometimes I got more if I helped my mum, so I could save up to RM70 per day. If I had extra, I’d buy a bottle of mushroom liquid, which cost between RM90 and RM150. It’s widely available on social media. The first time I tried it, I thought, “Best le”. I felt happy – always laughing. I tried it for fun and was hooked for three years. I started with a little bit – over time, I felt I couldn’t do without it, so I was vaping 24 hours a day. I needed it as soon as I woke up. It interrupted my studies. I felt ‘heavy’ and couldn’t do anything. Many of my friends used it but I usually vaped alone or with my twin brother. He stopped a little bit earlier than me. I ‘kantoi’ last year during Raya. My mum woke me up on the morning of Raya and asked me to take a bath but I couldn’t wake up. She was angry and started scolding me. My brother came in and saw my vape. He knew what had happened. He asked me if it was ‘mushroom’ but I denied it. He didn’t believe me and tried it. He ended up losing consciousness. He woke up six hours later and couldn’t remember a thing. He told my mum. My mum gave me many chances until finally, the school found out and contacted AADK. Now, I am determined to do my best because in Puspen, the education is good – especially the aspects of religion and discipline. After SPM, I want to be a pilot but I wear specs so that may not be possible. If I can’t achieve what I want, I will continue my mum’s business as taukeh canteen. My first time trying drugs was through vape. It is so cheap and easy to buy. It should be banned. Please don’t be like me. You will ‘gian’ after the first try and it will be hard to stop.

– Adam, 17, Pahang

I don’t even drink alcohol but I started vaping in Form One and was introduced to meth and weed vape liquids. My friend said I would feel high so I wanted to try – 1ml was only RM30. One bottle was RM150. We would pool our money and share one bottle. Usually when I was high, my eyes would turn red but if I took too much, I got sleepy. For the longest time, no one knew. Every 30 minutes I would need to vape. The first time I tried, I felt nothing. And then I got addicted. I’d just spend my days sleeping. For three years, my mum tried to advise me but I couldn’t stop. This year is my SPM year, so she wants me to sit for the exams at Puspen. I am not angry with my mum for sending me here but I am sad. I know it’s for my own good. Now, I feel prepared for my SPM. Every two weeks, my parents will visit. If I could do things all over again, I would never touch this. No more drugs. I didn’t take drugs because of family problems. It was because of friends. I am an only child. My mother cried so many times. I felt so sad because I kept repeating my mistake. Even one drop can change your future. Just don’t try. The negative things that come with one try is not worth it. I want to be a policeman but I am scared that after this, I won’t get a chance. If I cannot join the force, I want to study to be a vet.

– Raghu, 17, Penang

I was always lazy to go to school – ‘kuat ponteng’ since Form Two. I had some issues at home. I got hooked on drugs at 17. It all started with normal vape until my friend introduced me to liquids with drugs. ‘Gian I kuat’ and I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t sleep because there was a lot on my mind. So I would vape before going to sleep. I was working part-time at a food stall. When I vaped, I couldn’t work. I felt lazy. Eventually, my boss found out. I ‘kantoi’ with mum. I was always sleeping and she suspected something was amiss. I used to also pace a lot and could not sit still. I was always dizzy. When my mum asked what’s wrong, I did not tell her. I tried to stop but I kept going back. I used ‘mushroom’ and would spend about RM10 to RM20 a day. I bought it from a friend. I really want to change. I want to get a good job and make my mum happy. When she sent me here, my mum told me to take care of myself and study properly. After my SPM, I want to take up vocational skills – to be an electrician. I am now focused on memorising my lessons for the SPM. School is good so far. I hope youths like me will be more selective when making friends. Avoid people who introduce you to bad things. Stay far, far away because once you start, it’s hard to stop.

– Amin, 19, Kedah

I’m the third of five siblings. When I was in Year One, my parents divorced. I could not accept that my father had remarried. My mum suffered from mental illness. I was Form One when I started vaping ‘mushrooms’. Before that, I was smoking cannabis for five years. Two years ago, my friend let me try ‘mushrooms’ with vape. Then I started using pil kuda together with the mushroom liquid. I had registered to sit for the SPM then but because I was high and hallucinating from ‘mushrooms’, I got into an accident and dropped out of school. I am excited to sit for my SPM this year because I have never been out of my home state. I entered Puspen unprepared but I have tried by best to face it. From my heart, I want to tell students like me – if you have girlfriend problems or whatever, don’t turn to drugs. You don’t need this in your life. I turned to drugs because I was disappointed with my girlfriend and family. When I was high, my family became like my enemy – I was aggressive with my parents. I just wanted money from them. I didn’t realise what I was doing. I would snatch money from my mum when she did not want to give it willingly. I couldn’t control my emotions and now I am here. My family finally put me here because they knew I was hanging out with the wrong crowd. I have been here for 11 months. My body is full of toxins now - pumped with drugs. I am learning to accept that I am an addict. I cannot go home because if I do, I will definitely go back to my friends. After SPM, the first thing I want to do is hug my mum and apologise to her because I spent this Raya without my family. I want to say thank you to my mum for everything and I want to make her proud of me. Even though society will always see the word ‘penagih’ stamped on my forehead, I will always try to make my mother proud – with everything that I have. I understand now my mum is sick, so as a son, I must try to move forward - away from the past hurt, and make her proud.

– Shukri, 19, Terengganu

*Names have been changed to protect the identities of the students.

 

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A dangerous high

The Star

https://www.thestar.com.my › nation › 2025/05/18 › a-...

15 hours ago — Today, the fear is that vapes are luring teens to drugs, creating a generation addicted to substances way more dangerous than nicotine.

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300 million smokers and counting

hoices aplenty: Cartons of cigarettes are considered appropriate business gifts. — The Straits Times/ANNTwenty years after adopting the World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), China is still addicted to cigarettes.

The world’s largest producer and consumer of tobacco, it has an estimated 300 million smokers, nearly a third of the world’s total.

Despite years of anti-smoking campaigns – Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly gave up smoking in his 40s and banned smoking in government buildings – many continue to light up, driven by social mores, cheap cigarettes, a lack of public education and, crucially, the protection of Big Tobacco.

Cartons of smokes are considered appropriate business gifts while tobacco shops dot the streets, with prices ranging from as little as 10 yuan (RM6.40) a packet to over 200 yuan (RM127.70). Convenience stores prominently display a dizzying array of varieties.

But kicking the habit is far harder than simply going cold turkey. The tobacco industry is both regulated and controlled by the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA), an agency that provides jobs for over half a million people across the country.

In recent years, the problem has taken on a new dimension with the startling popularity of electronic cigarettes, making nicotine palatable – and readily available – even to the young.

How did the world’s second-largest economy get so addicted to smoking? And as the world moves towards tobacco-free societies, would it ever be truly possible for China to kick the habit?

Cigarette normalisation

Shortly after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, Beijing declared that tobacco farms and cigarette manufacturing would be consolidated and managed by local governments.

When the country was put through rationing in those early years, cigarettes were among the “essentials” doled out to villagers and residents who registered with the local authorities, allowing officials to document the population.

Cigarette manufacturers also tapped iconography significant to China’s national consciousness. Brands like Xiongmao (Panda), Chunghwa (a metonym for China) and Zhongnaihai (a former imperial garden that now houses China’s leadership complex) all date back as far as the 1930s.

By the time STMA and its commercial arm China National Tobacco Corporation were created in the 1980s to consolidate and centralise tobacco production and sales, smoking was widely accepted.

Leaders ranging from Mao Zedong to Premier Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping have all been photographed holding cigarettes, with ashtrays and spittoons commonplace in offices and government buildings across the country.

And it continues to play a significant role in society today.

When bistro owner Jeanne He was a bridesmaid in 2022 at a childhood friend’s wedding in Yunnan province – the country’s largest producer of tobacco – she had an important responsibility.

“I was in charge of arranging the cigarettes on trays for bridesmaids to hold up and offer to guests before the wedding dinner,” she said.

“The groomsmen had trays of snacks and candy.”

In much of China, working in the tobacco industry is seen to be as prestigious as being in the civil service, with its stable income, generous salaries and employee benefits.

In surveys of fresh graduates, China’s big tobacco firms – largely state-owned enterprises (SOE) – are consistently rated some of the best companies to work for, with degree holders happy to take on blue-collar jobs on the factory lines.

Some 98% of China’s tobacco firms are SOEs with little wiggle room for other market players. Manufacturing some 2.4 trillion cigarettes a year, the industry raked in 132 billion yuan in profits in 2022, nearly 12% up from the 118 billion yuan the year before.

China National Tobacco Corporation does not report sales figures but posted a record-breaking taxable income of 1.44 trillion yuan in 2022.

The second-highest tax payer, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, reported taxable income of 109 billion yuan.

The pressure that STMA exerts on the government is largely why tobacco regulation has hit a roadblock, said Dr Gan Quan, director of the China office of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, a Paris-headquartered non-profit organisation aimed at eradicating tuberculosis and lung disease.

While major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen have been able to completely ban smoking indoors since 2007, this has been far more challenging in other cities like Chongqing.

In 2020, the city passed a law banning smoking in public places, but a loophole meant that certain establishments such as restaurants, hotels and entertainment venues were allowed to set up indoor smoking areas, exposing countless others to second-hand smoke.

“Smoking is strictly prohibited in the indoor areas of public places where smoking areas can be designated,” said the text of the law.

Dr Gan, who has spent his career studying China’s tobacco control policies, said: “It has become a pattern that whenever sub-national jurisdictions try to pass smoke-free laws, you have the STMA following them (to exert pressure to water down the laws) because they don’t want the momentum to spread from big cities like Beijing and Shanghai.”

Crucially, there is no national-level smoke-free legislation that will make it mandatory for all provinces and regions to adhere to, wrote Peking Union Medical College’s Dr Xia Wan in CCDC Weekly, a publication by the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, in an article in 2022.

In November 2014, the State Council released a draft on national tobacco control guidelines to meet its obligations under the WHO FCTC, the first time such guidelines had been introduced at a national level.

“This draft was supposed to finish seeking advice, opinions and comments from the public by the end of 2014,” Dr Xia wrote.

“But unfortunately, the draft is still stuck in that stage and has not progressed further.”

Furthermore, regulation across cities remains lax, and it is not an uncommon sight to see people lighting up under “no smoking” signs in eateries.

STMA did not respond to a request for comment.

In 2021, China’s top health body, the National Health Commission, released its second report detailing the ill effects of smoking – an update from a 2012 version.

With more than half the male population smoking, over one million people lose their lives to tobacco use every year, a number that could double by 2030.

It also noted that “e-cigarettes are unsafe and pose a health hazard” but offered no solutions to the issue.

Electronic cigarettes

Electronic cigarettes and electronic nicotine delivery systems – more commonly known as vapes – have been regulated in China since 2022, and cartridges with flavours have been banned in a bid to stop young people from picking up smoking.

But results are mixed: While such vapes are no longer easily available, one can still walk up to any number of e-cigarette shops dotting the streets, where retailers pull out flavoured stock from under the counter.

In private chats on social media platform WeChat, sellers also directly market to consumers, sending catalogues every time a new flavour hits the market.

At a shop in Beijing, where this reporter was offered an ice lemon tea-flavoured vape, the shop assistant said it was impossible to stamp out demand.

“We’re just more discreet about it and don’t display what we have on offer. Also, if we see young people coming in to buy, we won’t sell to them,” said the assistant, who wanted to be known only by her surname Su.

In eateries and even shops across major cities, people can still be seen puffing away indoors, leaving cloyingly sweet vapour in their wake.

With smoking so socially accepted, those who have successfully quit say it usually takes a life-changing event to provide a much-needed jolt.

Aircraft engineer Li Peng, 52, kicked the 30-year habit only after discovering nodules in his lungs during a medical check two years ago.

“I’ve been smoking since I was a young apprentice nearly 30 years ago, and even though my wife kept urging me to quit, I found it hard because it’s such a social activity, too,” he said.

“After the medical scare, where the doctor told me I could either quit or risk it developing into something more severe, I got the boost I needed to go cold turkey.

“But I’ll admit it was very difficult in the beginning, especially during mornings in the toilet.”

Yet, given the industry’s strong hold over the market, China is unlikely to go cold turkey any time soon.

Dr Gan said: “The anti-smoking lobby is calling for the tobacco monopoly to be broken up from the regulator, but I don’t think the government is willing or interested in doing that because it takes huge political will and capital.”

Since 2021, STMA has been swept up in a corruption probe that has involved nearly two dozen current and former senior executives, including the retired head of an Anhui subsidiary who killed himself after investigations started.

The arrests and investigation of several top STMA officials for corruption are merely part of the anti-corruption campaign rather than an attempt to reform and rein in the tobacco industry, Dr Gan noted.

“The main issue is really a lack of (anti-smoking) education... for instance, if you compare cigarette packets to places like Hong Kong and Singapore, the language is very weak and not prominently displayed,” he said.

“And we don’t do that because of opposition from the tobacco monopoly.” — The Straits Times/ANN

The writer,ELIZABETH LAW  is the China Correspondent at The Straits Times.

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